As a follow-up to this story in Monday’s paper about improving the Avalanche blue line next season, here is a list for pending NHL unrestricted free agent defensemen. There are no superstars in the mix. Washington’s Mike Green is at the top of most lists, but his 19:06 average ice time with the Capitals was seventh on the team, fifth among D, despite being third on team payroll, tops among D. Nashville’s Cody Franson has seen his ice time decline dramatically from his time in Toronto, now playing behind Roman Josi and Shea Weber in Nashville. I have Andrej Sekera No. 1 because of the following:

The top-five order based on 1. age; 2. shot side; 2. salary demands. (The Avs have four righties — Erik Johnson, Tyson Barrie, Nate Guenin, Zach Redmond — among their six D under contract next season.) Are we missing a major name? If so please email me at mchambers@denverpost.com.

1. Andrej Sekera, 28, Los Angeles (L) – Averaged 19:12 this season (for L.A., 16 games). Moved to L.A. from Carolina at the trade deadline and is making $1.75 million. Averaged 22:46 with Carolina (57 games).

2. Cody Franson, 26, Nashville (R) – Averaged 15:25 this season (for Nashville, 23 games). Traded from Toronto to Nashville, the team that drafted him, and is making $3.3 million. He will likely double that. Averaged 21:23 for Toronto.

3. Matt Irwin, 27, San Jose (L) – Averaged 17:01 this season. Undrafted, he had eight goals and 19 points in 53 games for the Sharks this season. Terrific skater playing behind Brent Burns and Marc-Edouard Vlasic. Made just $1.1 million this season.

4. Mike Green, 29, Washington (R) — Averaged 19:06 this season. Making $6.25 million this season and will likely get at least $7 million July 1. Is he worth it?

5. Andrej Meszaros 29, Buffalo (L) – Averaged 17:54 this season. The big Slovak (6-2, 223 pounds) plays in all situations. He’s making $4.125 with Buffalo and will get a raise.

Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon celebrates his second goal Thursday, Oct. 30, 2014, against the New York Islanders at the Pepsi Center. (Andy Cross, The Denver Post)

Nothing official, but I’ve been told Avalanche forwards Matt Duchene, Ryan O’Reilly and Nathan MacKinnon and defenseman Tyson Barrie are expected to play for Canada at the Czech Republic-hosted World Championship beginning May 1 in Prague and Ostrava. Avs/Lake Erie goalie Calvin Pickard, according to Sportsnet, is being considered along with full-time NHLers Cam Ward and James Reimer.

Sportnet’s projected roster does not include Duchene and MacKinnon, but instead has Jarome Iginla. I’m told Duchene and MacKinnon — who returned to the ice Friday after playing his last game March 4, when he was diagnosed with a fractured foot — will be on the team and Iginla will not. Duchene, a 2014 Canadian Olympian, represented his country at Worlds in 2010, 2011 and 2013; O’Reilly was on the 2012 and 2013 squads.

MacKinnon is undoubtedly hungry to play again before the 2015-16 NHL season and get in front of Hockey Canada decision-makers for the 2018 Olympics.

Avs captain Gabe Landeskog, meanwhile, told me he will play for Sweden pending his exit meeting/physical with Colorado. A Swedish journalist on Sunday published a news nugget saying Landeskog has a broken wrist. But 92 had no problem with our end-of-season handshake Saturday night with the very right hand that has been taped for the past two seasons. Landeskog might have a wrist injury but hockey players cannot play hockey with a broken wrist. Perhaps it’s a stress fracture or a ligament/tendon issue. Bottom line: the Avs could demand he doesn’t play at Worlds and let the injury heal.

Moving on, the NHL released the draft-lottery percentages of the 14 non-playoff teams with a chance to get the No. 1 pick and select Connor McDavid:

#Avalanche has a 3.5 percent chance of winning NHL draft lottery, 88.0 percent to stay at 10th and 8.5 percent to fall deeper

Colorado Avalanche right wing Jarome Iginla, center, celebrates his goal against the Chicago Blackhawks with teammates Alex Tanguay (40) and Gabriel Landeskog (92) during the third period on Saturday, April 11, 2015, in Denver. Colorado beat Chicago 3-2. (Jack Dempsey, The Associated Press)

At age 37, Jarome Iginla is producing like a younger version of the future Hall of Famer. He scored his 28th and 29th goals — the latter in the final minute of the third period to break a 2-2 tie — to power the Avalanche to a 3-2 victory in its season finale against the Chicago Blackhawks. (The second version with quotes and more will ultimately post on same link.)

Iginla failed to reach 30 goals in a non-lockout season for the first time since 1999-2000 (when he had 29), but hey, the guy still has it. He is the oldest Avs player to lead the team in goals — just nine days older than Joe Sakic in 2006-07 (Sakic had 36 goals at age 37). Iginla (30 assists) and Gabe Landeskog (23 goals, 36 assists) tied with a team-high 59 points.

Matt Duchene had a good look at the empty net from the left wing in the waning moments, but tried to feed Iginla down the middle. Duchene’s pass was intercepted. After the game, Duchene said he wanted to help get Iggy a hat trick and reach 30 goals.

“I was looking for him,” Duchene said. “As soon as he got the one there in the first, we thought we could get it done. Mitchy (John Mitchell) and I were looking for him all night. It’s too bad we couldn’t get him (30). The guy (Chicago defender) got my pass off the shaft of his stick.”

In his final press conference of the season, Avs coach Patrick Roy said the future of the team is to build through the draft. But he wouldn’t discount adding a top-four D when free agency begins July 1. More on that in Monday’s paper and online.

Roy on regrets and being back in Denver “to win the Stanley Cup:”

Alternate captain Cody McLeod and Matt Duchene:

Avs captain Gabe Landeskog told me he might represent Sweden at the World Championship in the Czech Republic, after his exit meeting and physical with Colorado. The tournament begins May 1:

Loose pucks: The Avs were the only NHL team with 50-point scorers this season. That’s a stat to take into their free-agent defenseman search. … The Avs were 17-9-1 in their last 27 games and finished on a three-game winning streak. Problem with that is, they never won four in a row … Goalie Semyon Varlamov was 3-0 with a 1.00 GAA and .973 SP — .973! — in three starts against the Blackhawks this season, and he has won seven straight games against Chicago dating to 2013-14. Colorado was 6-1 in its last seven home games and 16-7 overall to close the season at the Pepsi Center. … The Avs reached 90 points in consecutive seasons for the first time since 2007-08. … Cody McLeod had a team-high 191 penalty minutes, his new career high, and most since Jeff Odgers had 259 in 1998-99 for the Avs. … Tyson Barrie finished with 53 points, most by a Avs defensemen since Rob Blake had 56 in 2001-02. … Defenseman Duncan Siemens made his NHL debut against Chicago, the sixth Colorado player to make his big-league debut. The others are goalie Calvin Pickard and forwards Dennis Everberg, Andrew Agozzino, Colin Smith, Borna Rendulic and Joey Hishon (regular season). … Despite all the injuries, five Avs played in all 82 games this season: Duchene, Iginla, Landeskog, McLeod and Ryan O’Reilly. Last time Colorado had five players play in 82 was 2006-07. … O’Reilly had three takeaways against Chicago to tie Ottawa’s Mark Stone for the NHL lead of 98. O’Reilly has led the league in takeways three times.

That’s all for now, folks. Please follow the blog throughout the offseason — particularly the June draft, July free agency and heading into prospects/training camp.

The Avalanche’s season finale is Saturday night against the Chicago Blackhawks at the Pepsi Center. Look for a story about defenseman Duncan Siemens making his NHL debut at www.denverpost.com/avalanche.

Colorado has a franchise-record 486 man-games lost to injury (second behind Columbus this season) and the team made each of them available to the media after the morning skate.

Defensemen Erik Johnson hasn’t played since Jan. 21, after undergoing knee surgery Jan. 26. The Avalanche’s only 2015 All-Star will finish with 12 goals and 23 points (plus-2) in 47 games. He is close to full strength and will be 100 percent for next season:

Forward Nathan MacKinnon hasn’t played since March 4, when a broken bone was discovered in his foot. He will finish the season with 14 goals and 38 points (minus-7) in 64 games. The reigning Calder Trophy winner skated Friday and Saturday and is expected to be at full strength within the next month:
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Nathan MacKinnon, Part 2:

Forward Jamie McGinn missed all but 19 games with a back injury that eventually required surgery. McGinn said he had a recent recovery setback but is also expected to be 100 percent for the 2015 training camp:

I also spoke to forwards Patrick Bordeleau (who played just one game because of back and knee injuries) and Jesse Winchester (zero games played after preseason concussion). Bordeleau fractured his right kneecap after recovering from preseason back surgery, and although the knee is 100 percent, his leg size and strength suffered from going nine weeks without working out. Winchester’s season was just a nightmare with post-concussion symptoms, and although he recently thought he was 100 percent, some of his symptoms re-occurred and he is still fighting it.

Defenseman Ryan Wilson (missed all but three games with head and shoulder injuries) is a pending unrestricted free agent — along with D Jan Hejda and F Daniel Briere — and all three are not expected to be resigned. Hejda and Briere will be in the lineup against the Hawks.

The Avalanche didn’t practice Friday, but word came that defenseman Brad Stuart, who suffered a cut to the leg Thursday in the first period against Winnipeg and was done for the night, won’t be able to play Saturday against Chicago.

The 6-foot-3, 205-pound Siemens was the second of the Avalanche’s two first-round picks in 2011, going 11th overall, or nine slots after Gabe Landeskog.

Siemens, who will be making his NHL debut against the Blackhawks, has no goals and six assists in 51 games for the Monsters. If the Avalanche chooses not to disrupt the other regular pairings of late, Siemens will be plugged into a pairing with Nick Holden. The other pairings have been Tyson Barrie-Nate Guenin and Zach Redmond-Jan Hejda.

Avalanche executive vice president and general manager Joe Sakic met with three members of the media before Thursday night’s game with Winnipeg to assess the Avalanche season and future, and I used much of the material in the game story here.

Here are additional Sakic comments, and there will be more in a Sunday season wrapup analysis: Read more…

Joey Hishon celebrates his first NHL goal with a gamewinner in the third period to defeat the Nashville Predators 3-2 at Pepsi Center on April 7, 2015 in Denver. (Doug Pensinger, Getty Images)

Final game story is here. In their third-to-last game of the season, the Avs beat Nashville 3-2 on Tuesday night at the Pepsi Center.

Joey Hishon broke a 2-2 tie 7:06 into the third period on a 1-on-2 rush generated by linemate Marc-Andre Cliche. Hishon was promoted to the Cliche-centered third line after winger Dennis Everberg suffered a likely season-ending shoulder injury:

Hishon had two shots and was plus-1 in 10:50. He played 1:39 on the power play.

I'm no cheerleader, but anybody who knows what Joey Hishon has gone through has to be really happy for him. To know him is a bonus. #Avs

I had a off-camera conversation with Patrick Roy about NCAA Frozen Four-bound goalie Ryan Massa of Littleton. During his playing career with the Avs, Roy coached Massa in peewees and bantams at the Littleton Hockey Association. Massa, a Nebraska-Omaha senior who leads the country in save percentage, said Roy’s pointers shaped his youth career. Look for Massa’s story in Thursday’s paper and online. The Mavericks play Providence at Boston’s TD Garden on Thursday. The other national semifinal is between North Dakota and Boston University.

Mike Gempeler is the first commissioner of the new 20-under Rocky Mountain Junior Hockey League, a junior-A (Tier 3) loop serving most of Colorado. “Gemps” grew up in Wisconsin and played college hockey at Gustavus Adolphus College in Minnesota. He worked under George Gwozdecky’s University of Denver hockey program from 1999-2002. Great hockey player and friend.

Gempeler is mostly known for his hockey camps, the U.S. Junior Development Program’s Junior Prep Camp and CCM Showcase at the University of Denver’s Magness Arena.

“Having spent 15 years helping place players across the country in the various junior leagues via the USJDP Junior Prep Camp and CCM Hockey Showcase, I know there are a lot of talented players in Colorado,” Gempeler said. “It only seems fitting that we create a well-run, well coached junior-A league right in their backyard.”

Gempeler has coach professional and junior hockey in Switzerland, Czech Republic, Germany, Austria, and Finland. He founded Rocky Mountain Hockey Schools in 1996. As RMJHL commissioner, Gempeler will manage all scheduling, marketing and disciplinary issues.

“Mike is a home run hire,” RMJHL president Shaun Hathaway said in a release. “His experience and commitment to advancing players align with the RMJHL mission, and his leadership and passion strengthens our ability to achieve our established goals.”

Avalanche coach Patrick Roy said his team’s disappointing season might be a “step backwards to jump further.”

Defenseman Erik Johnson — exactly 10 weeks out Monday from a knee surgery that was originally projected to cost him 3-8 weeks — practiced Monday but won’t play Tuesday against the visiting Nashville Predators. Avs coach Patrick Roy, when asked if EJ might return Thursday against Winnipeg or Saturday against Chicago, said he would be “very surprised.” Thus, EJ’s season is likely over. And with no chance of making the playoffs, it only makes sense.

The Avs will make EJ available Saturday, along with other injured players including Nathan MacKinnon, Jamie McGinn and Patrick Bordeleau.

Last week in Vancouver, when the Avalanche followed a loss the night before at Edmonton with an impressive victory over the Canucks, I opened the story and even questioning of players with: Where’d that come from? After the losses at Calgary and Edmonton, that one surprised me, and I gave the Avalanche credit for resilience.

I was similarly surprised — with a 180-degree twist — Monday night.

I didn’t see that desultory showing coming.

The Avalanche lost to the Oilers for the second time in six days. In the game story, I quote Roy saying he was disappointed in the Avalanche’s effort. I also asked Roy if he could come up with an explanation. Read more…

The Colorado Avalanche’s Ryan O’Reilly celebrates his goal against the Edmonton Oilers to tie the score 1-1 in the first period at Pepsi Center on March 30, 2015 in Denver. (Doug Pensinger, Getty Images)

Avalanche center Ryan O’Reilly Monday was named the NHL’s No. 3 star of the week.

Here’s the NHL’s summary of his week, complete with a clever “factored” homage to his nickname.

(I still think Radar is better, but I’m in the minority.)

THIRD STAR – RYAN O’REILLY, C, COLORADO AVALANCHE

O’Reilly led the NHL with seven assists and eight points to power the Avalanche (35-28-12, 82 points) to two victories in four starts. He set up both goals in a 3-2 loss to the Calgary Flames March 23. O’Reilly then factored on all three goals, recording 1-2—3, in a 4-3 loss to the Edmonton Oilers March 25. He again collected two assists in a 4-1 win over the Vancouver Canucks March 26 before wrapping up the week with one helper in a 5-3 triumph over the Buffalo Sabres March 28. The 24-year-old Clinton, Ont., native and reigning Lady Byng Memorial Trophy winner has 14-38—52 in 75 outings this season. That includes 4-8—12 during a seven-game point streak, equaling a career high established Oct. 12-24, 2009 (2-7—9).

“It’s nice to get that,” O’Reilly said after the morning skate. “Early in the week, we had those two games at Edmonton and Calgary that if we won those, we’d be in a much different spot right now, much closer, so it was kind of a frustrating week there. But to get a star of the week is great and something I need to continue to do.”

Patrick Roy said after the 5-3 win over Buffalo Saturday night that he had decided to give his team Sunday off.

So the Avs’ next time on the ice will be the Monday morning skate in advance of the game that night against Edmonton.

Roy noted that the Avalanche had played four games in six nights and had appeared to hit a wall in giving up three goals to the lowly Sabres in the third period. “It’s good for us to have a rest and a good morning skate on Monday and be ready for the Oilers,” he said.

As noted in the Avs Briefs written before the game, Roy had said after the Saturday morning skate that Erik Johnson was getting close to being able to return to the lineup. After the game, he said he had talked to trainer Matt Sokolowski and offered an update. Roy said Sokolowski told him there was a possibility Johnson might return against Edmonton, but that it was more likely to happen at some point during the trip for games at San Jose Wednesday, Anaheim Friday and Los Angeles Saturday.

This was on the bottom of the later version of the game story, refiled after the visit to the locker room and after Roy’s session with the media, but Roy wouldn’t go into details about the injury that prevented winger Dennis Everberg from playing in the third period. He would only say the Avalanche would know more Sunday. Another issue there is that unless Jesse Winchester is activated, the Avalanche have no extra available bodies around. Roy the other day said that while Winchester has been “cleared” in the concussion protocol and at one point seemed close to being able to play, he was having vision issues that represented setbacks. So if Everberg can’t go against Edmonton, the Avalanche probably would need to recall a forward from Lake Erie.

Also, while Daniel Briere was at the game, he was wearing a huge medical boot over his left foot, evidence of taking a shot on the foot at Calgary Wednesday. If it turns out that he’s done for the season, raising the possibility that it was the final game of his career, that’s an unfortunate way to go out.

The Avs’ Reto Berra looks on during a break in the action against the Los Angeles Kings at Pepsi Center on March 10, 2015 in Denver. (Doug Pensinger, Getty Images)

VANCOUVER — The Avalanche didn’t have a morning skate Thursday, but the team has confirmed that Patrick Roy will go with Reto Berra in the Colorado net against the Canucks.

It’s not a shock, given what Roy said Wednesday when I asked him after the loss at Edmonton if he was sticking with the plan to go with Semyon Varlamov on both nights of the back-to-back.

This was in the post-game Avs briefs, but this is what Roy said: “I’m going to think about it. Reto (Berra) played really well. Maybe it would be a good chance for him to play (Thursday) night. We’ll see. We’ll talk with the coaches and we’ll make our decision.”

Varlamov, who had started 28 of the last 29 games and played well, allowed three goals on seven shots against the Oilers before Roy pulled him.

EDMONTON — Going into Wednesday’s game against the Edmonton Oilers, the Avalanche hasn’t yet written off its playoff hopes. But in acknowledging the long odds, coach Patrick Roy increasingly is beginning to talk about this season as a learning experience to be used as the franchise moves on — including to its third season under GM Joe Sakic and coach Roy in 2015-16.

Part of that involves a subtle admission that Colorado was a little complacent — perhaps even subconsciously — after last year’s surprising season. Read more…

CALGARY — The Avalanche was 0-3 on the power play in a 3-2 loss to Calgary Monday night, and that’s been the norm in a season in which Colorado’s 13.5-percent success rate on the PP is the second-worst in the NHL.

“We had our chances, and I wish there was a recipe to it,” said Alex Tanguay, who had one of the Avalanche’s (even-strength) goals. “We just haven’t been able to produce all year on the PP. . . We try and move the puck, we had some looks, (Jarome Iginla) had the shot that went through the crease, it could easily have hit me or (Ryan) O’Reilly and gone in. You look at the chances, the way we battled tonight, yeah, maybe the power play wasn’t up to snuff, but I thought we played a solid gave and deserved the same result that they did, but unfortunately, there was only one team that could get that.”

Captain Gabe Landeskog, who had his 11th goal in 18 games, said the Avalanche’s two shots on goal on the power plays wasn’t indicative of the pressure quotient. Read more…

CALGARY — There’s a gentlemen’s wager on the line in the Calgary Flames’ dressing room this week.

Former Boston College star Johnny Gaudreau, the Hobey Baker Award winner as the top player in the college game a year ago, and former Denver Pioneer Joe Colborne have agreed: The former player from the losing school in Saturday’s matchup in the NCAA East Regional at Providence, R.I., will have to wear the jersey from the winning school in public.

“At a media thing or something,” Gaudreau, who was raised in the South New Jersey area outside Philadelphia, said after the Flames’ morning skate.

The 5-9, 150-pound Gaudreau will go into tonight’s game against the Avalanche with 20 goals and 57 points in 71 games.Read more…

Terry Frei graduated from Wheat Ridge High School in the Denver area and has degrees in history and journalism from the University of Colorado-Boulder. He worked for the Rocky Mountain News while attending CU and joined the Post staff after graduation. He has also worked at the Oregonian in Portland, Ore., and The Sporting News. His seventh book, March 1939: Before the Madness, was issued in February 2014.

Chambers covers college and professional hockey for The Denver Post. He has written for the Post since 1994, after dumping his first 9-to-5 office job a couple years out of college. He primarily follows the University of Denver hockey team and helps cover the Avalanche.